Winter watch

Finally, reading from a teleprompter, Trump video broadcasted a condemnation of Tuesday's mayhem on Capitol Hill - it's being likened to a hostage video by the media commentariat. Half a dozen members of his cabinet have resigned, dissociating themselves from his actions. Open discussion in Congress about removing him from office before the due date. Whether it will happen or not on such a short timescale is doubtful. 

Trump also stated that he won't attend Biden's presidential inauguration, the first time this has happened since 1860. Whatever he does on that day (and nobody knows what), will draw attention away from the President. A calculated move to undermine a celebration of national unity. A refusal to be reconciled. As long as he's in office he can still wield executive power to do dangerous things, The worry is that he'll declare war on Iran, and leave others to sort out the chaos generated.

Meanwhile rates of covid infections and deaths continue to climb in America and in Britain. A third new vaccine has been authorised for UK use, and there are reports of two new effective treatments that can be used on seriously ill covid victims, shortening their stay under an intensive care regime. Both assist in dampening over-reaction by the inflammatory mechanism of the immune system and reduce the chance of a fatal outcome to the infection. One drug costs a thousand pounds per treatment. A lot of money, but set against the cost of two thousand pounds a day per intensive care patient, its cost effectiveness is evident. The rate of advance in some areas of medical science this past year has been as amazing as the spread of the virus has been terrifying.

My crisp cold afternoon walk in the park was blessed by the sight of a family of long tailed tits foraging in the trees leading down to Blackweir Bridge. I also caught sight of a tree creeper in the same vicinity. They occupy same habitat year after year. Unlike the last time I saw them when I had a camera with me, this time I didn't. But never mind. It's a comfort to know that nature continues as best it can despite global warming and  other man made environmental damage projects.

This evening heralded the start of a new series of Rebecka Martenson - Arctic murders, set in the far north of Sweden. The first episode portrays the life of a community of Sami reindeer herders, with some wonderful photography and explanatory detail about their way of life today, with a family drama and a fatality at the heart of it. A must-watch series now for the next seven weeks of winter in the warm.